East Elmhurst man dies after being struck by a car less than a block from his home: cops

Police are investigating the death of a man who was struck by a car less than one block away from his home in East Elmhurst.

According to police, at 12:37 a.m. on May 21, officers from the 115th Precinct responded to a 911 call regarding a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian struck on Northern Boulevard, between 100th Street and 101st Street.

Upon their arrival, police found 47-year-old Carlos Gavilanes, who lived on 101st Street, lying on the roadway with trauma throughout his body.

EMS responded to the scene and transported Gavilanes to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad found that Gavilanes was crossing Northern Boulevard when he was struck by a 2003 Honda Civic, which was operated by a 24-year-old female. The driver remained at the scene following the incident and was not injured.

No arrests have been made at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

It’s the latest deadly traffic fatality to occur on Northern Boulevard, which in recent weeks has become a focal point for transportation safety advocates across Queens. On April 28, a 9-year-old boy was killed by a hit-and-run driver near the Woodside/Jackson Heights border, prompting renewed calls for safety improvements on the roadway.

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of Carlos Gavilanes, who was tragically killed in an accident this morning as he was crossing Northern Boulevard, near 101st Street,” said Senator Jose Peralta in a statement. “Serious and deadly accidents are becoming too common along this busy corridor. Three weeks ago, 9-year-old Giovanni Ampuero was killed after being struck by a vehicle as he was crossing the street on Northern Boulevard. We cannot, and will not, allow Northern Boulevard to become the new ‘Boulevard of Death.’ Recently, I publicly welcomed some of the initial changes the city’s Department of Transportation implemented on this thoroughfare, but more needs to be done. As DOT is working to install additional safety improvements, including left turn traffic calming measures, we need to ensure deaths on the boulevard do not continue to happen. This is unacceptable.”